Recent Grant Wins Are Powering Education and Workforce Opportunity Across the Country

Across the country, states, education agencies and community organizations are pursuing new ways to strengthen education, expand career pathways and prepare students and workers for a rapidly changing economy.

The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) is helping make those ideas possible. Since 2023, CFA has helped partners secure more than $500 million in grant funding through 100 applications representing more than $1 billion in requests.

In the past four months, CFA-supported partners have secured more than $65 million in 12 awards. This funding secures funding that will span projects focused on instructional improvement, scaling successful school models, and strengthening career pathways and workforce development programs. 

Here’s a look at several recent wins and the opportunities they will create for students at every stage of their education. From strengthening teaching and learning in K–12 classrooms to helping young people explore careers, earn credentials and prepare for in-demand jobs, these grants will help communities provide the support students need to thrive in school and beyond.

Expanding opportunity for young adults in Louisiana

Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) secured a $1.3 million award from the U.S. Department of Labor to sustain and expand its YouthBuild program in Bogalusa, Louisiana.

The funding will help 58 young adults pursue industry-recognized credentials, employment and postsecondary education while receiving wraparound support designed to help them overcome barriers and successfully transition into their next chapter.

Connecting K–12 students to careers in Maryland and Ohio

The Maryland State Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce each secured $9 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s Career Pathways Exploration Grant Program.

Both states will use the funding to strengthen the connection between K–12 education and future careers.

Ohio will pilot its Career Connections Framework in 10 school districts and build a statewide K–12 advising system.

Maryland will develop a state-owned career exploration program and personalized six-year plans for students in grades 7–12, helping young people connect their education today with postsecondary and career opportunities tomorrow.

Building better assessment systems in Montana and North Carolina

The Montana Office of Public Instruction secured $3 million, while the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction secured $4 million, through the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program.

Montana will strengthen its existing assessment system through curriculum-alignment maps, improved educator data reports, family-facing reports and statewide professional learning.

North Carolina will expand its Skills for the Future initiative, including the use of AI-assisted scoring with human oversight to assess durable skills such as critical thinking aligned with the state’s Portrait of a Graduate framework.

Together, these projects reflect an important shift toward giving educators, families and students a more complete picture of student learning and readiness.

Expanding high-quality public charter school opportunities in Delaware 

The Delaware Department of Education secured a $16 million Charter School Programs grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Over five years, Delaware plans to award 26 subgrants to support the opening, replication and expansion of high-quality public charter schools while also strengthening charter authorizer oversight, accountability and transparency.

The initiative is expected to expand statewide charter enrollment capacity by approximately 10%.

Strengthening the advanced manufacturing workforce in Virginia 

The Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub in Virginia secured a $16 million award through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Tech Hubs program.

The investment will support the development and scaling of AI-enabled domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, helping build the highly skilled workforce needed to strengthen U.S. supply chains and competitiveness in a critical industry.

Building aerospace and college readiness pathways in Utah 

Southern Utah University secured a $1.5 million, three-year award from NASA’s State Hubs initiative and a $1.75 million, five-year TRIO Talent Search grant.

The NASA award will establish the Utah NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hub, connecting employers, community colleges, and high school programs to build apprenticeship pathways into aerospace careers. Talent Search will provide college and career readiness services to 700 students each year across three rural southern Utah counties.

Turning Ambitious Ideas Into Funded Initiatives

While these projects span different states and sectors, they share a common goal: creating stronger pathways from education to opportunity.

They also demonstrate what can happen when communities have the capacity and expertise to turn ambitious ideas into competitive funding applications — and ultimately into programs that serve students, families and workers.

From designing programs and developing partnerships to writing applications and supporting implementation, CFA works alongside communities throughout the grant funding process.

These recent wins are helping partners build career pathways, strengthen academic systems, expand educational opportunities and prepare the workforce of the future — and they are only part of the work underway across the country.